A system having a heat-generator such as an electrical device or electronic device often comprises a cooler to cool a heat-generator. A disk array system comprising a plurality of magnetic disk devices as the heat-generator is given as an example.
The disk array system has a plurality of the magnetic disk devices for reliability and fast processing or high capacity. The disk array system usually has a cooler such as a cooling fan to cool the magnetic disk devices since each magnetic disk device generates heat by, for example, an action of a motor.
The amount of heat released from the magnetic disk devices in the disk array system is, however, different any varies depending on the performance such as the rotation speed and the operation (access) status such as an idle status or seeking status. If the magnetic disk devices are cooled uniformly, a magnetic disk device having higher temperature can not be cooled selectively, which causes unevenness in the cooling.
It is known to control distribution of the cooling power according to each heat-generating state in the heat-generators.
In a disk array system according to Patent Document 1, for example, in order to prevent the unevenness of the cooling, temperature sensors are provided to detect the individual temperatures of magnetic disk devices as a heat-generator are provided to control the amount of the flow of the cooling air to the magnetic disk devices according to the individual temperatures.
In electronic devices according to Patent Documents 2 and 3, in order to cool a plurality of printed boards having electronic components as heat-generators, air-regulated plates, made from shape memory alloy, are provided for controlling the amount of the flow of the cooling air in the housing accommodating the printed boards to control the amount of the flow of the cooling air to the printed boards by changing the areas of openings according to the heat releases of the printed boards.
[Patent Document 1]
JP Patent Kokai Publication No. JP-P2000-187975A
[Patent Document 2]
JP Utility-Model Kokai Publication No, JP-U03-32495A
[Patent Document 3]
JP Patent Kokai Publication No. JP-P2005-286268A